NDDC urged to strengthen corporate governance

The management of the Niger Delta Development Commission has encouraged to strengthen its corporate governance, to tackle political interference.

A lecturer with the Department of Political Science, Lagos State University, Professor Sylvester Akhaine, gave this advice on Friday in Lagos at the commission’s three-day retreat for the personnel of the Office of Executive Director, Corporate Service and Department of Corporate Governance and Due Process, with theme “Building Synergy for Optimal Service Delivery and Effective Corporate Governance”.

“The commission operates in a general atmosphere of corruption where the state, itself rentier and with a retinue of rent-seeking officials and free-riders, ready to subvert its mandate through misappropriate and misapplication of the commission’s scarce resources.

“Therefore, for effective service delivery, the commission must run its business according to extant rules establishing the commission without succumbing to the meddlesomeness of federal public officials in quest of rent. In this way, capital and those seeking to misuse it can be disciplined,” the done explained.

He noted that the people of the Niger Delta had high expectations from the commission, urging it to be always accountable to the people.

“NDDC is an interventionist commission of the state dedicated to implementing development, not to the private primitive accumulation of resources but development. The NDDC role is cut out for it. It is a development agency that informs its mission, vision and values,” he added.

In his keynote address, the NDDC’s Executive Director, Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde emphasised the need for the staff of the relevant department and unit within the NDDC to lead the charge for diligence corporate governance and optimal service delivery to enable the commission to fulfil its mandate in the Niger Delta.

He noted that the retreat and the master class programme was a further testimony to the determination of the Samuel Ogbuku-led management as well as the governing board headed by Mr Chinedu Ibie to ensure that the NDDC is holistically repositioned for effective, focus-oriented and verifiable performances in line with the interventionist agenda that impact positively on the people and communities across the Niger Delta.

Also, Managing Partner at KPMG Nigeria, Tolulope, while speaking on the topic “Corporate Governance: Evolution and Fundamentals in the Public Sector”, remarked that to overcome the challenge of corporate governance in the public sector, the commission needed to develop and implement comprehensive frameworks that clearly defined roles, responsibilities and procedures.

“This includes establishing clear policies and guidelines to ensure consistent governance practices across the organisation.

“Establish independent oversight bodies to minimize political interference. Ensuring that key governance positions are filled based on merit rather than political affiliation, can also help maintain objectivity and integrity in decision-making,” he added.

It is worth noting that the NDDC has faced challenges due to political interference. In 2020, there were allegations of corruption involving a former MD of the commission, Joi Nunieh, and the then Niger Delta minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

Nunieh accused Akpabio of corruption, sexual harassment, bribery, and attempting to force her to take an oath of secrecy in Abuja.

Akpabio denied those claims and accused her of being temperamental and corrupt.

Akpabio is the current Senate president.